First Look: Mercedes Benz A45 AMG Edition 1

Mercedes Benz is on a roll, and they have no intention of slowing down. In a surprise move during somewhat quiet summer season they have just unveiled the CLA and CLA AMG for Japan, all that while the world is preparing itself for the S class debut. What a year it has been for the Stuttgart automotive giant, so in today's post I will do a visual introduction of the phenomenal A45 AMG Edition 1, which went on sale in Japan on July 1st.

When Mercedes Benz unveiled the replacement for the soccer mom uneventful A class the whole world froze in amazement as it took a little while to sink in. Nobody could find anything similar between the old and new A Class, and that’s definitely a good thing. Once it went on sale, everyone also recognized that it wasn't just looks, the A class was also a great fun to drive.

Then the AMG division came in and said: we'll make it even better! And so they did. They took the world by storm when the A45 AMG was finally uveiled earlier this year as a lot of skeptical journalists were looking for a flaw, something to criticize... and they couldn't find anything!

Now that I see it in front of me, it is obviously clear how amazing this car is. Attention to details is phenomenal as it borrows luxuries from other models and shows all other hot hatches how it's really done.

It does feel luxurious inside. The seats are made from top quality leather, central console storage cover is soft and comfortable, and aluminum accents are beautifully incorporated into elegantly curved dash. Red stitches, accents, and seatbelts blend beautifully with all black interior components creating a very joyful but at the same time comfortable atmosphere.

All dials and controls are top quality, just like in any other Mercedes Benz model.

Despite the smaller size of the vehicle there is room in the back for two adults to enjoy a long trip.

And there is plenty of storage space as well. Rear trunk panel is removable, and seats are collapseble. This is indeed a perfect family hatch, which maintains its focus on perfomance and fun.

Aluminum paddles behind the leather and alcantara wrapped steering wheel and are same as you would find in other higher end AMG models.

Overall interior is very roomy and nicely designed, definitely appealing for variety of tastes. The only two negatives I could point out is the cheap looking snap-on Command NAV system screen and central console made from hard plastic.

But let's not get carried away with the luxuries. This is not what this car is all about.

It is about raw power, and lots of it. Delivered from a small 2 liter engine it sends whooping 360 horses to all 4 wheels (most of power goes to front) via 4matic torque vectoring system that allows rear wheels to get up to 50% of torque when needed. This is very impressive machine, and while I am not new to automotive tuning world, where 360 horses out of 2 liter engine has been done before, never it has been accompanied with a 3 year unlimited mileage warranty.

What they've done here is show how far ahead of the game Mercedes Benz really is; not only in terms of technology and innovation, but also how the whole corporation functions as a single unit. This car is result of excellent team work, dedication, and progressive corporate culture.

Engineers at Mercedes Benz have been perfecting diesel engines for quite a while and have achieved very impressive efficiency and performance numbers. What they haven't achieved with diesel engines however, is an appeal to car enthusiasts.

So what they did here is utilize the knowledge, technology and components designed for high pressure diesel engines and create a brand new petrol engine. Result is phenomenal power, response, fuel efficiency, resilience and reliability up to Mercedes Benz highest standard.

Perhaps the only evidence of incorporation of diesel engine technology is red line of 6250 RPM with peak power at 6000.

Priced at whooping 6.4 (over 7 million for Edition 1) million yen, the car is not cheap, but because of these factors it is very reasonable to own. A bonus for Japanese market is that it sits in the same vehicle tax bracket as Subaru Impressa WRX or Suzuki Swift Sport!

So far this is turning out to what appears to be one amazing car. It may not be for everyone, but it does raise the bar for all that follow. I can't drive it yet, because it is yet to be street legal in Japan, but as soon as Mercedes Benz Japan has one available there will be a full review here!

Thank you for reading everyone. There will be more A class goodness in the next update as I take the A250 Sport for a spin around Tokyo.